From the Assistant Principal
Sabbath Week and Beyond
Now that the school term is well and truly established, you may have noticed that your family's afternoon schedule is becoming very full. Sabbath Week is a time to take stock of the busy-ness and consider changes that could be made to ensure that all of us - parents, children and teachers - are looking after ourselves. This week, monitor how your children are going. If you’re observing more frequent after-school meltdowns, then it might be time to simplify your after-school routine to make afternoons more peaceful.
Your child might be on their best behaviour at school, and then the minute they get home, they become angry or sad or argumentative. This is fairly typical behaviour. At school, your child works very hard to follow all the rules, complete their tasks in the classroom and engage in social interactions - with varying degrees of success. This is very tiring. You should expect that they might not behave as you’d wish when they get home. Here are some ideas to implement to ensure a calm transition to dinner, bath and bed-time.
Plan for restful afternoons
School days can be exhausting, and your child needs to balance the demands of the school day with some relaxation and rest. When you notice a pattern of after-school meltdowns, clear the afternoon/evening schedule for the week where possible. Postpone playdates, skip the supermarket visit after school, and go straight home to provide an opportunity for your child to unwind.
Plan for healthy snacks
Your child might not eat or drink enough at school, primarily because they’d prefer to be social! Be ready with a nutrient-dense snack.
Plan for calm play
Run a bath with lots of bubbles and their favourite bath toys. Or put on some calm music and let them relax with a puzzle, play dough or kinetic sand play. This type of creative play soothes anxiety and helps children to move back to a calm, restful state.
Plan for later discussion about the day
You’re probably so excited to see your child/ren at the end of the day, to give them a hug and find out all about what they got up to at school. But you might find that when you pick them up, they are tired, and grumpy and provide one-syllable responses to your questions. Don’t feel disappointed or rejected. Give them space, time, rest and food, and wait for a later discussion (perhaps around the dinner table?) about the happiest, funniest, or most challenging parts of the day.
For more ideas, read this great article on tantrums and after-school meltdowns.
Enjoy a restful Sabbath Week!
Petra Cole